FAEMEES' INSTITUTES. 115 



crops of hay from the same piece of land before plowing the sod under. As a 

 rule I plow the meadow land as soon as the June-grass begins to injure the 

 timothy. 



I will in this connection make another extract from the report of the depart- 

 ment of agriculture for the year 18G7 (p. 299), as it so clearly coincides with and 

 explains my own experience and observations : From what has just been said 

 a practical suggestion may be drawn in respect to the time most proper for cut- 

 ting plants intended for the support of animals, or for medicinal purposes. It 

 is a fact that a plant is in its fullest vigor, and contains the largest quantity of 

 nutritious juices which are laid up in store for the growth of the young seeds, 

 when the flower is in its greatest perfection, and the pollen is fully matured and 

 commences its fertilization. This condition may be known by observing, in the 

 larger flowers, the pollen scattered on the stigmas ; or in the smaller ones, as 

 grasses, by striking the spike or head, when the pollen will appear like yellow 

 dust on the hand. This is the time the plant should l^e cut and stored away for 

 future use. If delayed beyond this, the nutritious elements are abstracted to 

 perfect tlie seeds, and the plant gradually becomes a withered, dry, and tasteless 

 stalk. All the grasses, whether upland or lowland, should be cut at this time, 

 as the increase of the seeds will bear no comparison in value with the loss of the 

 nutritious properties of the stalk and flower. It seems almost cruel to deprive 

 the domestic animals of the SAveet and nutritious new mown hay by failing to 

 ■cut it in season." 



Redtop is the most productive tame hay that is grown on lowlands, and as 

 fodder for cattle, probably is unsurpassed ; but as the time for cutting, and the 

 process of cutting it, are nearly similar to the process of cutting and curing tim- 

 othy, I shall let it pass without further remarks. 



Probably clover needs to be harvested with greater care than any other kind 

 of hay. Like all other kinds of hay, it should be cut when in full bloom. If 

 allowed to stand till the heads turn a bi'ownish color, it becomes almost worth- 

 less. The greatest care must be taken in curing it. If allowed to remain too 

 long in the hot sun before it is stirred up, the leaves will curl up and drop off. 

 As soon as it becomes partly wilted it should be thoroughly stirred up, and kept 

 almost continually in motion till it is cocked up. The cock should be made 

 large and very compact. That is the best place to cure clover hay, and it should 

 be allowed to remain in the cock three or four days, till it passes through the 

 process of sweating. When properly cured it makes very valuable fodder. I 

 regard red clover as one of the most valuable crops raised on the farm. Its 

 worth does not consist in its value as fodder ; its large, long roots penetrate 

 nearly every part of the ground to a considerable depth, making the soil on 

 heavy land loose and porous, depositing at the same time one of the most valu- 

 able of manures. I have heard the plan of covering the cocks of clover with 

 pieces of heavy factory one and one-fourth yards square, to shelter them from 

 the dews and rains, highly recommended. It seems as though it might be wor- 

 thy of a trial. The amount of hay cut in the United States and territories in 

 1870 was 27,316,048 tons. During the present year this crop will quite likely 

 approximate 34,145,060 tons, which, if estimated at six dollars per ton, will 

 amount to the enormous sum of 1204,870,360. Allowing that fifteen per cent 

 of its nutritive value is lost by allowing it to stand too long before it is cut, or 

 by negligence in curing it, or in both, then the loss in this crop alone aggregates 

 $30,730,554. AVould it not appear from this showing that the time has arrived 



